3 ms·
Diving by zero is not impossible because it is not defined, but because it grows ad infinitum. Take out a scientific calculator and start doing division by sma
by gls2ro 2y ago
Diving by zero is not impossible because it is not defined, but because it grows ad infinitum.
Take out a scientific calculator and start doing division by smaller and smaller units:
1/0.9
1/0.09
1/0.009
...
1/0.000000000000000000009
So we can then ask what happens if we do this more and more with incremental steps? It seems that we go toward infinity.
thus the more you do this the higher the returned number and I think we just discovered (I think I have to refresh my memory and hope not say something very wrong) the concept of calculus. Then we can use a new concept: limits - what happens when that 0.000000000............N is as close to zero as possible.
- dpassens 2y agoExcept it doesn't necessarily go towards (positive) infinity. Use a negative dividend, and you approach negative infinity instead. The same is obviously true if you use a negative divisor instead, and you get positive infinity again if both are negative. So division by zero is impossible because you can't meaningfully define it (in the general case).
- imawakegnxoxo 2y agoWhat if you divide 0.00000000000000000009 by itself It actually tends towards 1 no matter how small the divisor It doesn't always go to 0, hence why it is undefined
- anthk 2y ago1, as both numbers are the same, and distinct to zero.